watch out for texaco quik change oil places!

[Soundguy]

The wife is going out of town tomorrow and it was time for her vehicle to be serviced. She normally goes to the texaco quik change place a mile from our house. i pulle din and the amnager walked out and said they were closing early to paint the floor.... needless to say I was a bit miffed.. as I knew I would have to drive another 20minutes to get to the valvolene place in town. Got there, and found out that texaco had been putting the wrong weight oil in my wifes vehicle, per their reminder sticker. Valv tech noticed it and made me aware of it. I pulled her owners manual from the glove box and sure enough... texaco was pulling one over on me.

Well... they have lost my business permanently. As soon as I find out who owns that location I'm sending them a letter with their reminder sticker, and the page zerox'ed from my owners manual, and sending their prefered customer card back. Seing's as I have 4 vehicles and lived a mile away... they could ahve done some good business if they hadn't of put it to me... So.. everybody.. double check what those ( any name ) quik change places are giving ya...

Soundguy

 

[Birdman]

Stories like yours are why I avoid those places like the plague. I always change my own. Just wish I could convince my son to do his also. He has a groove burned in his filler cap, I guess someone dropped it on the exhaust, and last fall when I was changing oil for him I discovered that the copper washer under the drain plug was missing and someone had smeared some blue RTV type product in its place. Maybe someday he will learn.

 

[bigtater]

Should be titled watch out for oil change places.The business depends on the employee to make the right call. other places could be just as bad off. Just another thing to watch for.

 

[Code54]

Yep - you need to be careful - I had the oil changed (forget why I didn't do it, some dumb reason).
Left and soon as I pulled out the tranny was acting weird! Went right back and at first they said they din't do anyhting to the tranny, then they checked and it was SUPER low (along with me checking it of course) - then the tech fessed up to taking a wrong plug out and draining something - didn't know what. He said he was not used to working on Toyotas (Happened in Detroit Mi Area) Anyway they did refill it and I was told they were firng the Tech that day for doing that and not reporting it, but still I learned a lesson - CHANGE IT YOURSELF if you possibly can. It is not worth letting some fellow that was serving hamburgers yesterday touch your truck or car!

 

[SnowRidge]

I have had nothing but bad experiences with the 'quick lube' joints, usually involving high pressure sales techniques for unneeded and unwanted services. I've never used them except when I was not in a position to change my own oil. Each experience was a reminder why I prefer to do it myself.

 

[cp1969]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have had nothing but bad experiences with the 'quick lube' joints, usually involving high pressure sales techniques for unneeded and unwanted services. )</font>
That seems to be the business model most places operate under these days. Get 'em in the shop with a low price (loss leader), then sell 'em stuff they don't need at inflated prices.

I was having some tires put on at a Tires Plus and was in the waiting room along with a 30-something woman. A tech comes into the waiting room with her air filter (at a tire shop!) and tells her that it looks bad and asks if she wants to replace it. It looked to me like it was brand new. I was astonished and was going to question him on her behalf, but before I could, she said "No. My husband takes care of things like that." Never mind that the tech may or may not get it put back right. But you have to wonder how many people get suckered like that.

 

[SnowRidge]

The same thing just happened to me a couple of days ago. I had my Tacoma in for new tires, and the tech brought out a filthy looking air cleaner to show a young lady who was also in the waiting room.

I figured I was going to get the same treatment, but it never happened. I wonder if they looked at mine, too. Maybe they did and just were honest about it. It only has a few thousand miles on it. Still, I guess I better go and see if anything is amiss under the hood. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[LBrown59]

<font color="red"> I had the oil changed (forget why I didn't do it, some dumb reason </font>
**********
Here are 2 not so dumb reasons

Had the Dodge dealer do it on my 1986 Dodge D 50.
Had a cupon for a free oil and filter change.

It's 18 degrees out side today. Changing oil out there isn't appealing to me.

 

[Onthesauk]

A few years ago I had an old Dodge Ram in for service at the dealer. Lots of miles so I had him drain the rear end and replace the fluid. 3,000 miles later I was having the oil changed at Quaker State and they came running in to show me how the fluid in the rear end was "burned!" Looked like new to me and told them to leave it alone!

 

[ultrarunner]

The reason I do it myself is too many horor stories about stripped drain plugs and missing gaskets...Live and learn